What kind of bustle would you recommend for this wedding gown?

I’ll be going in for my first fitting soon, but I wanted some ideas of which bustles would work best with my dress so I can effectively discuss options with the alterationist.

Since this is a chiffon dress I understand that I may need the layers bustled separately. Also I’m really not a fan of the French bustle, but if there are examples of french bustles done well with this style of gown then perhaps I can be convinced otherwise. 😉

pengoala: Thanks! I have found Leanna’s bustles page before, and it is incredibly helpful to understand the difference between the various bustle styles.

Additionally a few folks have also recommended the one point bustle for my dress so it is definitely one I’m going to ask the seamstress to mock up when deciding on a bustle! Apart from that I’ve received recommendations for the Austrian and Italian (which I believe is essentially a train flip and wouldn’t cover up the lovely draping on the back of the skirt).

GenericSpeak: Ooh yeah, I like the idea of the Austrian/Italian bustles as well! In any case, I think your dress is going to be so gorgeous, with whatever bustle you choose! 😀 Good luck! Will you let us know what you choose in the end?

If it needs to be done in layers, the underlayer could be a french bustle or flip (you won’t see it because of the chiffon) Then the top chiffon could be a one point bustle, or it might be even prettier to complement the draping of the dress and go with 3 or more points on the chiffon layer.

The Austrian bustle might also maintain the lovely draping in the back. 🙂

GenericSpeak: When I picked out my dress, the consultant and I discussed how it might bustled and she said that the seamstress might do a french bustle. When I went for my first fitting, the seamstress did more of a one point at the bottom of the corset (not sure what its exactly called I’m pretty sure they called it an A-Line Bustle in my store….I dont have the paper that they wrote the alterations on). I would talk to the seamstress as they usually know what will look best with the dress. If you are unhappy with how it looks, ask her for alternative options until you find what looks best with your dress! Good luck!!

pengoala: I will certainly report back once a bustle has been chosen! I’m not sure if that will be discussed during the first fitting though.

irkeiko: Thanks! I’ll look for more examples of english bustles to get an idea.

StarryNight2011: Yeah, based on the “Combining styles” section of Leanna’s Bustle Page I get the impression that the appearance of the lining layer won’t matter much as long as the top chiffon layer hangs properly. I’m pretty certain I don’t want to cover up the back of the skirt (if I can help it) so that will certainly help me with my final decision.

Mez03: Thanks for the advice! I will certainly keep an open mind about my seamstress’s recommendation(s) since she should know best. I couldn’t help getting ideas and feedback ahead of time though. It’s simply my nature to research and educate myself on matters that I need to make a decision on. 🙂

GenericSpeak: My dress has a lace overlay like how this dress has a chiffon (?) overlay. I’m doing an under/over bustle. The under layers will be bustled under, the lace will be bustled over. I love how it lays and makes the skirt appear to be more mermaid and flare which is exactly what I wanted. You should ask your seamstress about doing that. I was actually undecided and didn’t know if I even wanted a bustle because I hadn’t seen any pictures of ones I liked. When she showed me the under/over I fell in love immediately.

SeaRhapsody: We just finished the bustle this week! My seamstress refers to it as a classic bustle, but it’s essentially the train flip. She was looking into a fancy and structured version of the French at first, but decided a simple train flip looked best due to how incredible the pleats on the back of the skirt look.